Basketball
Let’s bow our heads. Legendary basketball player killed by rocket in Lviv
Every day at 9 am, Ukrainians commemorate the people who lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war. Today Sport.ua pays tribute to the outstanding Ukrainian basketball player of two EuroBaskets participants, Viktor Kobzisty, who was killed exactly two years ago, on December 29, 2023, supposedly by a Russian missile deep in the lines in Lviv. The man will remain 44 years old forever.
The legend of “Budivelnik”
Viktor Kobzisty was born on March 7, 1979 in Kremenchug, Poltava region. As a child, Victor played hockey and football. I quit football before because I was too high for this game. Later, Kobzisty quit hockey and focused on basketball. Victor, who studied at Kremenchug children’s and youth school No. 2, was considered one of the most talented players of his age in Ukraine.
After graduating from nine secondary school classes, Kobzisty entered the Kremenchug Pedagogical School named after Makarenko and in 1995, at the age of 16, he became a player of Kremenchug Neftekhim, where he made his debut in professional competitions. In 1996, Victor moved to Russian Samara, where he played only in the second team. Due to the fact that the club management rejected the offer to accept Russian citizenship.
In 1999, Kobzisty returned to Ukraine and signed a contract with CSKA Kiev, with which he became the silver medalist of the championship and the winner of the national cup in his first season. The army team finished the next championship in third place, after which Kobzisty moved to the ranks of Mariupol Azovmash.
In 2001, Victor tried playing abroad again – he went to Bulgaria, where he spent a season as a member of Yambolgazy. In the same year, Kobzisty played in the EuroBasket final as part of the Ukrainian national team.
Victor returned to Ukraine in 2002 and immediately became the leader of the Kyiv Budivelnik in the broadest sense. The legendary club was going through difficult times at that time, but the young people gathered in the team led by Kobzisty showed incredible thirst and attracted the attention of the fans with their fighting character. Victor spent four brilliant seasons with the Kyiv team.
And although “Budivelnik” was not among the leaders at that time, Kobzisty regularly received calls from the Ukrainian national teams. In particular, he played with the national team in the second EuroBasket of his career in 2005 and with the student team in two World Universiades. In 2005, Ukrainians won the silver medal, for which Kobzisty received the title of international master of sports. In 2006, Victor moved to Dnepr, but in 2008 he returned to Budivelnik and with him became the champion of Ukraine for the first time in 2011, after which he ended his playing career.
Coaching activities
Completing his performances, Kobzisty became assistant head coach of Budivelnik in 2011 and worked as an assistant to Josep Berrocal, Zvezdan Mitrovic and Ainars Bagatskis until 2014. Later, Victor took over as head of Dnepr-Azot from Kamensky, with whom he worked for a year.
In 2015, Kobzisty became president of Kremen from his hometown Kremenchug, and in 2017-2018 he played several matches for the club’s second team in the first division. He held this position until 2020 and also served as president of the club’s children and youth sports school.
In 2021, Victor was invited to work at the Lviv City Basketball Federation, and from 2023 he worked as the head coach of the women’s club Dynamo from Kiev, which plays in the Ukrainian Super League.
Death
Viktor Kobzisty also came to Lviv at the end of 2023 on basketball-related matters. He rented an apartment on Gnat Khotkevich Street in the Sykhov residential area. And it was this house that was hit by a Russian missile on December 29. One person died then. Victor Kobzisty.
Victor was buried in his hometown of Kremenchug on January 2, 2024. The funeral took place in St. Nicholas Cathedral, and the basketball player found eternal peace at the Svishtovsky cemetery.
Family
Victor and his wife raised two children. One of the sons, Alexander, now 22, followed in his father’s footsteps and is now also a basketball player. He played on Ukraine’s youth and junior national teams, made his national team debut, and currently plays for the University of Oregon team in the NCAA.
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
Kirill Elatontsev may greatly regret his choice.
The departure of Russian center Kirill Elatontsev to the USA became one of the most discussed stories of the winter. A player with a valid long-term contract with Lokomotiv-Kuban suddenly appeared in the application of the University of Oklahoma and soon made his debut in the NCAA. This is an almost unprecedented case for Russian basketball. And for Kirill himself – a chance to start all over again.
A move that no one expected
Elatontsev, 23, was officially recruited by the Oklahoma Sooners, who expect him to quickly fit into the program.
— First of all, we are glad that Kirill is here, since a considerable distance has been covered. He will give us depth, which is extremely important. He’s older and has played against some really tough opponents, which will help us in conference games as well. In addition, he is skilled and has excellent instincts under the rim. “We are encouraged by his transition and are working to ensure that he quickly adapts to our program and system,” journalist Josh Callaway quotes Oklahoma coach Porter Moser as saying on his social media page.
Kirill’s debut took place immediately: on the night of December 30, Moscow time, he played 18 minutes in a match against Mississippi Valley State University. Oklahoma defeated the opponent with a score of 93:69, and the Russian scored 6 points and made 4 rebounds.
How it all started: from health problems to accusations of simulation
The formal conflict started on the night of November 8. Lokomotiv-Kuban reported that Kirill called an ambulance without notifying the medical headquarters. The examination – both at the club and in the clinic – did not reveal any serious problems, and hospitalization was not required. Lokomotiv-Kuban assessed the situation as a possible feigning of illness and a violation of discipline.
For the player, this was the first high-profile episode of the season, which he already missed due to problems with his foot. But in the fall there were rumors that the best young player in the VTB League in recent years was considering leaving for the NCAA. At the time it seemed frivolous. Now it’s reality.
The club’s reaction: “a dangerous precedent” and appeals to all authorities
After it became known that Elatontsev left Russia and signed up for the NCAA, Loko published a big statement. His key points:
The player has a valid contract until 2029, registered with the RFB.
The club called leaving without approval a gross violation of labor obligations.
History, according to the club, creates a dangerous precedent for Russian sports.
Official appeals and documents have been sent to the RFB, FIBA and NCAA.
The case is being reviewed by the Player Status Commission and the National Center for Arbitration for Sports.
Separately, it was reported that the club contacted FIBA to block Elatontsev’s transfer to teams under the auspices of the federation.
Loko emphasizes that investments in players cannot be “cancelled for the sake of short-term personal interests.” Essentially, the club is afraid that other young players will see Elatontsev’s departure as a path to going abroad, bypassing negotiations.
Legal background: claim to the military registration and enlistment office
Amid the basketball conflict, another layer of history has emerged. It turned out that Elatontsev filed a lawsuit against the Krasnodar military registration and enlistment office. He disputes the legality of the subpoena, which he says was issued while he was studying full-time. The document also mentions “misuse of budget funds” on the part of the department. It is difficult to say to what extent this episode is related to his departure to the United States, but it is obvious that the talented basketball player is mired in legal conflicts.
Elatontsev is at great risk by fleeing to the United States in violation of contractual obligations and not resolving issues with the military registration and enlistment office at home. It will be extremely difficult for him to build a successful career in the NBA, because it is too late to begin adapting to American basketball at 23 years old. Elatontsev has a chance to make a name for himself in the NCAA, get an overseas education and stay in the USA. But this story is unlikely to be associated with basketball at the highest level.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.
Four games were played in the NBA regular season on the night of December 30-31.
Utah hosted and lost to Boston.
Jazz started the game well, took the lead from the beginning and increased the difference to 10 points in the middle of the first quarter: 24:14. As a result, Utah won the first quarter with a score of 38:31. The visiting team started the second quarter better and made a move with 18:2 to not only take the lead, but also take the lead by 9 points (49:40). However, at the big break, Utah managed to turn the game around and made a move at 16:3 to take the lead again at 58:55. It was Jazz who entered the big break as the leader with 64:59.
The third quarter was even. Neither team could make serious progress and the lead changed 12 times. The result is 99:96 in favor of Boston. Thus, the fate of the match was decided in the fourth quarter. The guest team gained a 6-point lead at 103:97 in the first quarter, then kept their opponent within two shots for a long time, and towards the end of the match, they increased their advantage to double digits with 129:119.
Svyatoslav Mikhayyuk In this match, he rested by sitting on the bench for the entire match.
The most productive player of the Celtics was White, who scored 27 points, while Brown also had a double-double with 23 points + 10 assists.
Detroit defeated the Lakers on the road.
The Pistons only allowed the home team to take leads of 6:5 and 9:8 at the beginning of the first quarter, then they were ahead throughout the whole game and gradually increased their advantage, reaching 26 points (122:96) by the middle of the fourth quarter. As a result, Detroit won with a score of 128:106.
Doncic, who made 11 assists in the match, also scored 30 points and scored a double-double, but this did not benefit his team much. The most productive name for Detroit was Cunningham, who had a double-double with 27 points + 11 assists.
NBA. Regular season, December 31
Utah – Boston – 119:129 (38:31, 26:28, 32:40, 23:30)
Utah: George (37 + 7 assists), Nurkic (26 + 8 rebounds + 8 assists), Markkanen (22 + 9 rebounds), Sensabaugh (5), Hendricks (3) – start; Filipovski (10), Collier (7 + 8 assists), Clayton (7), Williams (2).
Boston: White (27 + 7 rebounds + 6 assists + 7 blocks), Brown (23 + 10 assists), Pritchard (18 + 6 assists), Keta (12), Walsh (6) – starts; Simons (20), Garza (15), Houser (5), Gonzalez (3), Scheierman (0).
Lakers-Detroit-106:128 (30:36, 35:34, 23:26, 18:32)
Lakers: Doncic (30 + 11 assists + 8 losses), James (17 + 5 losses), Ayton (10), Larevia (9), Smart (6) – starts; Hayes (13), Knecht (10), Vanderbilt (8 + 8 rebounds), Smith (3), Thiero (0), James Jr. (0), Kleber (0).
of Detroit: Cunningham (27 + 11 assists + 5 losses), Düren (14 + 8 rebounds + 5 steals + 5 losses), Thompson (7), Harris (7), D. Robinson (6) – start; Sasser (19), Stewart (15), Holland (11 + 7 rebounds), Ivey (9), Green (8), Reed (3), Lanier (2), Jenkins (0).
Memphis – Philadelphia – 136:139 Overtime (40:34, 32:38, 28:31, 28:25, 8:11)
Memphis: Morant (40), Coward (28 + 16 rebounds), Jaren Jackson (15 + 12 rebounds), Wells (14), Koloko (0) – start; Aldama (15 + 4 blocked shots), Spencer (7), Jackson (6), Landale (6), Small (5).
Philadelphia: Maxey (34 + 12 assists), Embiid (34 + 10 rebounds + 8 assists), Edgecombe (25), George (17), Barlow (12) – start; Grimes (11), Bona (4), McCain (2), Edwards (0).
Clippers – Sacramento – 131:90 (34:20, 39:20, 27:31, 31:19)
cutting machines: Leonard (33), Harden (21), Collins (16), Dunn (10), B. Lopez (8) – starter; Niederhaeuser (16), D. Jones (8), Senders (7), Miller (6), Brown (3), Batum (3), Christie (0).
sacramento: Westbrook (12), Reynaud (12 + 12 rebounds), Murray (11), DeRozan (8 + 7 rebounds), Achiuwa (0) – start; Clifford (18), Schroeder (11), Eubanks (6), Carter (4), McDermott (3), Monk (3 + 5 turnovers), Ellis (2).
tournament tables
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
On December 30, four matches were played in the 19th round of the Euroleague regular championship.
Hapoel Tel Aviv lost sensationally at home to Zalgiris.
The home team started the match successfully, quickly took the lead by 7 points, 9:2, and was ahead +12 – 25:13 towards the end of the first quarter. Only after this did the Lithuanians begin to close the gap. They made a 9:0 move at the intersection of the first and second quarters and came back with one shot at 25:22. After that, Hapoel again managed to lead by 9 points at 35:26, but even before the big break Zalgiris was ahead by 1 point at 40:39.
In the third quarter, the Lithuanians quickly took the lead and then made a 10:0 move to pull away by 11 points, 58:47. In fact, this decided the fate of the match, because afterwards Zalgiris maintained a double-digit advantage in the score and took the match to victory 93:80.
The most productive player of the winning team was Williams-Gross, who scored 17 points.
In the main match of the matchday, Barcelona lost to Monaco.
Monegasques started the game well and were ahead by 9 points in the first quarter – 22:13. They increased the advantage in the second 10 minutes and brought the score to 21 points at 47:26. At the big break, Barça reduced the difference to -17 – 30:47, but could not increase this local success further in the third quarter. Monaco then calmly controlled the course of the game, retained the double-digit advantage and won a landslide victory – 90:74.
James scored 19 points for Monaco and became the team’s top scorer.
Europa League. Regular season. 19th round, 30 December
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Zalgiris – 80:93 (25:18, 15:21, 13:24, 27:30)
Hapoel: Jones (18+5 assists), Bryant (14 points + 4 rebounds + 1 assist), Oturu (12+2+1), Motley (10+3+2), Blakeney (9+2 rebounds), Wainwright (9+3+6), Madar (4+3+5), Malcolm (4).
Zalgiris: Williams-Gross (17+2+4), Wright (15+3 rebounds), Francisco (13+2+8), Tubelis (12+8 rebounds), Brazdeikis (10+3 rebounds), Butkevicius (9), Law (8+2 rebounds), Sol (7+6+2), Ulanovas (2+4+2), Biruttis (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
ASVEL – Paris – 94:89 (20:23, 21:23, 20:18, 33:25)
ASVEL: Watson (28+3+1), De Colo (17+5+5), Harrison (10+5+1), Ndiae (9+9+2), Massa (8+6+1), Yurtel (8+1+8), Vautier (7+4 rebounds), Traore (4+2 rebounds), Lighty (2+1 rebounds), Jackson (1+1+1), Ajins (3 rebounds + 2 assists).
Paris: Heaphy (26+4+7), Herrera (11+4 rebounds), Willis (10+2 assists), Robinson (8+2+5), Fae (8+4 rebounds), Dokossi (6+1 rebounds), Morgan (6+7+2), Cavalier (5+5+1), Stevens (5+7+1), M’Baye (2+1+2), Ouattara (2+3+1).
Barcelona – Monaco – 74:90 (13:22, 17:25, 23:22, 21:21)
barcelona: Brizuela (25+1 rebounds), Norris (14+4+2), Fal (8+6 rebounds), Panther (8+2+4), Hernangomez (7+3 rebounds), Cale (7+3+1), Laprovittola (2+1 rebounds), Satoranski (2+4+4), Parra (1+3 rebounds), Marcos (2 assists).
Monaco: James (19+4+5), Hayes (15+5+1), Mirotic (13+4 rebounds), Okobo (12+4+5), Diallo (9+4 rebounds), Nedovic (8+1+1), Theis (7+4+3), Strazel (5+1+2), Blossomgame (2+5+2), Tarpey (2 rebounds).
Valencia – Partizan – 86:73 (18:22, 25:21, 22:20, 21:10)
Valencia: Thompson (17+3+6), Badio (14+1+3), Rivers (14+7 rebounds), Montero (13+3 rebounds), Pradilla (11+7+2), Costello (9+2 rebounds), Sakho (5+7+1), Taylor (2+1+2), Key (1+1 assist), Moore (2 rebounds + 2 assists), Puerto (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
Partisan: Bonga (17+7+2), Brown (15+2+2), Jones (9+6+1), Washington (7), Parker (7+4+1), Fernando (6+3 rebounds), Osetkowski (6+2+3), Payne (6+1+4), Calathes (4 rebounds + 6 assists).
tournament table
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
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